Interface for communication between an item of equipment and a fluid metering system

Abstract

A device for communication between at least one item of equipment of an installation and a fluid meter for metering a quantity of fluid consumed by said at least one item of equipment, said meter and said at least one item of equipment being linked to the fluid network of the installation, said device comprising: a first communication interface configured so as to communicate by power-line carrier with the meter and possibly with a concentrator and, through the intermediary thereof, with a metering information system, and a second communication interface configured so as to communicate wirelessly with said at least one item of equipment, each of the first and second interfaces being configured for a bidirectional communication.

1 : An architecture for bidirectional communication of data streams, comprising:
 at least one equipment item of an installation, and   a metering system comprising:
 a fluid meter for measuring an amount of fluid consumed by said at least one equipment item, and a concentrator, 
   said at least one equipment item and said fluid meter being connected to a fluid distribution network of the installation,   
       said architecture further comprising:
 a communication device interfacing between said at least one equipment item and said metering system, and comprising:
 a first communication interface configured for communicating by power-line carrier with the meter and/or said concentrator, and 
 a second communication interface configured for communicating wirelessly with said at least one equipment item, each of the first and second interfaces being configured for bidirectional communication of data streams between said at least one equipment item and said metering system. 
 
 
     
     
         2 : The architecture according to  claim 1 , wherein said metering system further comprises a metering information system and wherein said first communication interface is configured for indirect communication with said metering information system by means of the concentrator. 
     
     
         3 : The architecture according to  claim 1 , wherein the first communication interface is configured to use a narrowband power-line communications protocol such as G3-PLC. 
     
     
         4 : The architecture according to  claim 1 , wherein the second communication interface comprises at least one wireless communication module arranged to communicate with said at least one equipment item according to one or more predefined wireless communication protocols. 
     
     
         5 : The architecture according to  claim 4 , wherein said at least one wireless communication module comprises a removable radio dongle such as a USB dongle adapted to connect to said device electrically. 
     
     
         6 : The architecture according to  claim 1 , wherein it comprises a processing module configured to transmit at least one control data item to said at least one equipment item via the second communication interface, said at least one control data item containing at least one information item for controlling fluid consumption by said at least one equipment item. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 : The architecture according to  claim 6 , wherein the processing module is configured to generate said at least one control data item based on at least one event data item transmitted by the meter or by the concentrator via the first communication interface and containing information relating to an event, for example such as a rate change determined by the meter, the concentrator, and/or the metering information system. 
     
     
         9 : The architecture according to  claim 6 , wherein the processing module is configured to generate said at least one control data item based on at least one equipment data item containing at least one information item relating to said at least one equipment item, for example such as an amount of fluid consumed or a fluid consumption characteristic. 
     
     
         10 : The architecture according to  claim 9 , wherein the equipment data item is transmitted directly by said at least one equipment item via the second communication interface. 
     
     
         11 : The architecture according to  claim 1 , wherein the first communication interface is configured to transmit directly to said concentrator at least one status data item originating from said at least one equipment item and containing at least one information item relating to the status of said at least one equipment item, said at least one status data item being generated by said at least one equipment item following receipt by said at least one equipment item of said at least one control data item. 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 : The architecture according to  claim 1 , comprising a display means configured for displaying information originating from:
 the metering system, via the first interface, and/or   said at least one equipment item, via the second interface.   
     
     
         14 : The architecture according to  claim 1 , wherein peering is provided in said architecture such that the concentrator communicates to the meter and to the device the identification and authentication data allowing them to communicate with each other. 
     
     
         15 : A device for bidirectional communication of data streams between:
 at least one equipment item of an installation, and   a metering system comprising: a fluid meter for measuring an amount of fluid consumed by said at least one equipment item, and a concentrator,   
       said at least one equipment item and said fluid meter being connected to a fluid distribution network of the installation, 
       wherein said communication device interfacing between said at least one equipment item and said metering system comprises:
 a first communication interface configured for communicating by power-line carrier with the meter and/or with said concentrator, and 
 a second communication interface configured for communicating wirelessly with said at least one equipment item, 
 
       each of the first and second interfaces being configured for bidirectional communication of data streams between said at least one equipment item and said metering system. 
     
     
         16 : The architecture according to  claim 3 , wherein the bidirectional communication of data streams between the meter, the concentrator, and the device is secured by a COSEM/DLMS application protocol. 
     
     
         17 : The architecture according to  claim 8 , wherein the processing module is configured to generate said at least one control data item based on at least one equipment data item containing at least one information item relating to said at least one equipment item, for example such as an amount of fluid consumed or a fluid consumption characteristic. 
     
     
         18 : The architecture according to  claim 2 , wherein the first communication interface is configured to use a narrowband power-line communications protocol such as G3-PLC.